No Regrets, Just Love
by WickedForGood13
Summary: Slightly AU. Explores what happens following "the kiss." Warning: Spoilers for "Never Been Kissed." Also, boy/boy kissing. Read on...


Kurt was in shock.

He'd just been kissed by the same bully who had made his life a living hell for as long as he could remember.

Blindly, Kurt reached for his phone and dialed a number he already knew by heart.

Kurt stayed strong until Blaine answered. It was only then that he broke down crying. Through his sobs, he managed to choke out the story of what had happened.

Blaine, gentleman that he was, said he was on his way and would be there soon. In the meantime, he said, Kurt should remember their word, 'courage,' and try to live up to its definition for a little while longer.

Kurt stumbled out of the locker room and made his way to the front office where he excused himself for the rest of the day. He then went outside to wait for Blaine.

It wasn't long before Blaine pulled up outside McKinley High School. Rather than honk and wait for Kurt to come to him, Blaine parked and practically dove out of the car. He ran to Kurt and pulled him into a crushing hug.

"It'll be okay," he whispered soothingly into Kurt's hair, as he rocked the younger boy back and forth. Sensing that they were drawing attention to themselves, as the sight of two boys hugging and swaying together was not a common occurrence in Lima, Ohio, he said, "Let's get you inside. You've been in the spotlight enough for one day."

Wordlessly, Kurt nodded and allowed himself to be led to Blaine's car. Blaine opened the door for him and waited until his seatbelt was buckled before closing the door and going around to the driver's side.

As Blaine drove, Kurt wondered what it was that made him lower his defenses around Blaine. He'd never let anyone see him cry, not even Mercedes. What was it about Blaine that made Kurt let him in so soon and allow Blaine to see him as weak and vulnerable? Kurt decided it had to be his charisma. Blaine inspired Kurt's trust, allowing him to see past Kurt's façade.

While Kurt had been wrestling with why he'd let Blaine in so soon, Blaine was seething with rage at the audacity of some jock stealing a kiss from Kurt. This Karofsky, as Kurt had called him, had no right to kiss Kurt when he'd not asked Kurt's permission.

Driving soon allowed Blaine's reason to return. It was reason that talked Blaine out of hunting down Karofsky and crippling him.

They arrived at a park somewhere between their towns. Blaine parked and looked at Kurt who was staring straight ahead with no emotion visible in his expressive eyes.

"Kurt," Blaine said softly. "Let it out. Show what you're feeling. It's okay to cry. No one's here to judge you. It'll be alright."

Hearing Blaine's kind words made Kurt break down again. He was crying so hard that he wasn't even aware of Blaine moving to hold him close. Blaine's words that he'd never let go barely even registered, so far gone was Kurt.

He soon became aware that he was shaking and he realized how much he was feeling: anger at being violated, pain at having his first kiss stolen, shame at allowing himself to appear weak in front of Blaine, and regret that his first kiss wasn't with Blaine.

Blaine was in agony. Seeing, almost feeling, the pain that Kurt was experiencing, and being unsure of what to do, was torturous. Blaine was again overcome with a desire to drive back to McKinley and give Karofsky a piece of his mind in the form of a fist to the face.

Kurt's sobs finally quieted. He shuddered, finally drying his eyes and daring to meet his hero's eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Kurt whispered, ashamed once more at seeming less than strong in front of Blaine.

"Never apologize for what you're feeling or for letting those emotions show. Sensitivity is a wonderful quality to have, Kurt."

Kurt stayed silent, taking in Blaine's words of wisdom.

"Do you want to talk about what you're feeling, Kurt?" asked Blaine, kindly.

"Yes," Kurt said.

After a long pause, he took a shaky breath before telling Blaine everything he was feeling, except for the fact that Karofsky had stolen his first kiss. He wasn't ready to share that little detail with Blaine.

Blaine's eyes hardened as he realized the depths of Kurt's emotions and how deep Karofsky had hurt him.

When Kurt had finished, he looked up at Blaine, who had been holding him the entire time.

Kurt was shocked at the expression on Blaine's face, one of hardened determination, anger, pain, and pity.

Blaine looked down at Kurt and his eyes immediately softened.

"We are going to talk to Karofsky tomorrow. I'll come with you. You won't be alone. I'll be there to protect you this time," Blaine promised.

"Thank you, Blaine," said Kurt, resting his head on Blaine's chest and breathy in his woodsy scent.

"Now, Kurt," began Blaine, "I want to listen to me. You are one of the strongest people I know. It takes a lot of courage to do what you do every day."

At the word 'courage,' both Kurt and Blaine smiled.

"What do I do every day that makes me so strong and courageous?" asked Kurt, confused.

"You go to school every day and, despite the bullies and the harassment, you don't let anything bring you down."

Kurt chuckled.

"What?" asked Blaine.

"Sorry, it's just when you said "bring you down," my mind instantly started humming 'Defying Gravity.' "

Blaine let out a full-blown laugh at that.

"You're amazing, Kurt," he said, smiling down at the boy in his arms.

Kurt snuggled in closer.

"Thank you, Blaine, for being there for me when no one else was."

Blaine's grip tightened.

"What about your dad? Glee club? Mr. Shue?"

"My dad's recovering from a heart attack. This would push him over the edge. Glee club involves a lot of backstabbing that, I'm afraid to say, I've taken part of. Mr. Shue has his own issues to work through. He doesn't need mine."

"Are you always so selfless, Kurt?" asked Blaine.

"Selfless—me? I've never thought of myself that way before."

"Selflessness can be an admirable quality, Kurt. But don't overdo it. Guys like us need to have someone there for us, whether that's a family member, a teacher, or a lover. We need someone who can act as a shoulder to cry on. We need someone who can lift us up when we're feeling down. As a matter of fact, everyone needs someone like that, not just guys like us. Kurt, will you let me be there for you?"

"Yes."

Those three little letters, that one little word, brightened Blaine's otherwise dark and dreary day.

"Thank you," he whispered into Kurt's hair, taking in the smell of Kurt's strawberry-scented shampoo.

"Now," Blaine started, easing Kurt out of his lap, "are you ready to go back to the hell known as high school?"

"Blaine," Kurt whispered in a scared, little boy kind-of voice, "take me home. Please."

"Okay," Blaine agreed, easygoing as ever.

The ride to Kurt's house was silent, yet the silence wasn't awkward. It was a comfortable silence among friends who may become something more.

As they entered Lima, Kurt began directing Blaine to his house. When they pulled up outside, Kurt expected Blaine to merely drop him off. He was caught off guard when, instead, Blaine parked and got out with Kurt, walking him to the door.

The two boys stopped, turning to face each other.

Blaine pulled Kurt into a hug.

"Remember—courage. You are stronger than you know."

"Thank you, Blaine, for everything."

"Of course, Kurt. Anytime. I sense that there's more bothering you than just a kiss, so know that I'm here for you when you're ready to talk."

With that, Blaine turned and left, pausing to wave before driving off.

Kurt was left dumbfounded. How did Blaine manage to sense that there was more bothering him than a mere kiss? How did he do it?

Kurt knew he'd have to tell Blaine eventually that Karofsky stole his first kiss from him, but now was not the time.

He turned and went inside where he pretended that everything was fine, for his dad's sake.

That night, before bed, Kurt looked at his phone and found a text from Blaine with a single word—courage.

_That_ word had fast become _their_ word.

Kurt texted back, once again thanking Blaine for all of his support and understanding.

He went to bed with a smile on his face as he thought of Blaine.

However, his dreams were less than peaceful.

In his dreams, he re-lived the kiss. This time, though, he was kissing Blaine. Blaine, however, soon morphed into Karofsky, leaving Kurt to wake up shaking and covered in a cold sweat.

The next morning, Kurt's face looked drawn and worn out. There were circles under his eyes. Burt noticed, yet he chose not to comment, in case he made Kurt feel worse.

There was a knock at the door and Kurt went to answer it. It was Blaine, coming to pick Kurt up for school.

Blaine also noticed Kurt's worn expression, yet decided to wait until they were alone to comment.

Kurt excused himself, then picked up his bag and was out the door.

Again, Blaine held Kurt's car door open for him and waited until he was safely buckled in before closing the door and entering the driver's side.

"How did you sleep?" asked Blaine, innocently, as he pulled away from the curb.

"I slept fi—" Kurt began, only to be silenced by a look shot at him by Blaine that clearly said, "Don't lie to me."

"Fine, I was plagued by nightmares about the kiss," he confessed.

"I thought as much," said Blaine. "You have circles under your eyes that gave away that you'd had a bad night. I figured it had to do with the kiss. Why has this one kiss bothered you so much?"

"I—" Kurt opened his mouth to blurt out the truth, but found that he wasn't ready. "I can't say—yet."

"Okay," said Blaine, patiently. "I can wait."

"Thank you," said Kurt, directing a smile at his new friend.

They pulled up to McKinley High School and Kurt's stomach was immediately in knots.

Kurt led Blaine through the hallways until they reached the stairs that Karofsky came down every day to go to class.

Blaine looked at Kurt and could tell that he wasn't far from a breakdown.

"Hey," he said, comfortingly, turning Kurt to face him, "Remember yesterday? I said that you wouldn't be alone and that I'd be here to protect you. That still goes."

Kurt nodded once, unable to speak for several moments. He then swallowed once before motioning at the stairs.

"There he is," he said quietly.

"I've got your back," Blaine said, encouragingly. "But stay behind me, just in case. Your safety is very important to me."

Again, all Kurt could do was nod.

Blaine approached Karofsky and began talking calmly to him about what he'd done. Calm was the opposite of what Blaine was currently feeling. Kurt brought out his protective side and that was all that was keeping him from pummeling Karofsky. Blaine knew that his actions would help determine how Kurt was treated in the future and pummeling a powerful football player would not be good for Kurt.

Suddenly, his back was up against a chain link fence and Karofsky's fist was waving threateningly in his face.

The one thought running through Blaine's mind was, "Kurt was right. This guy _is_ a Neanderthal."

Kurt watched the confrontation, feeling inadequate. He was so weak, he couldn't even fight his own battles. His knight in shining armor had to ride in and save the day.

It was at that moment that Karofsky attacked Blaine, pinning him against the chain link fence. Kurt heard the fence rattle from the impact and he feared for Blaine, who was in no position to defend himself.

With a newfound strength, Kurt threw himself between Blaine and Karofsky, shielding Blaine with his body and roughly pushing Karofsky away. No one would lay a hand on Blaine while he was around.

Karofsky, stunned that he'd almost assaulted a student in front of witnesses, retreated.

Kurt slowly relaxed his defensive stance and went to sit on the nearby stairs.

"Well, he's not coming out any time soon," he heard Blaine say from above him, seemingly uncaring that he had almost been hurt.

Kurt brought his knees to his chest and buried his head from the world and from Blaine.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Kurt sensed Blaine sitting down near him. He could tell—it was time. The truth must be told.

"I'm upset because up until yesterday I had never been kissed. At least, by someone that counted, by a boy."

Kurt heard Blaine's sharp intake of breath and hid his face.

Understanding hit Blaine and left him breathless. It was more than a stolen kiss that was upsetting Kurt, it was a stolen _first_ kiss that was upsetting him.

Blaine put his arms around Kurt's shoulders.

"Hey, look at me," he said.

Slowly, Kurt raised his tear-stained face to meet Blaine's caring gaze.

"Your first kiss is what you make it. So, you can let that Neanderthal's kiss count. Or you can let this be your first kiss."

With that, Blaine leaned in and gently kissed Kurt, who responded immediately by wrapping his arms around Blaine.

Blaine's lips were warm and soft against Kurt's. For the first time, Kurt felt loved.

They pulled apart, Blaine immediately looking to gauge Kurt's reaction to his second first kiss.

Kurt's eyes remained closed, savoring the feeling of having had a boy's lips on his, a boy who he respected and admired and who shared the same feelings as him.

When he finally opened his eyes, it was to discover Blaine watching him carefully.

"How was that for a first kiss?" he asked.

"It was wonderful," said Kurt, touching his lips almost reverently.

Kurt and Blaine smiled at each other for a moment.

"Come on, I'll buy you lunch," said Blaine, standing up and holding out a hand to help Kurt up as well. "Oh, and by the way, thank you for stepping in between me and that Neanderthal."

"Anything for you, Blaine," said Kurt sincerely.

Blaine pulled Kurt in for another quick kiss, before the two walked off hand in hand to their lunch date.


End file.
